Shoe last



P. BORDA April 26 ,A 1927.

SHOE LAST Fi1ed-Jan. 15. 1925 ATTORNEY describe. Fixedly attached to one of the parts, preferably the toe part, is the head-ed member 20, illustrated in the drawings as a screw, the shank or neck of which is received in the slot 21 formed in the wear or anti-friction plate 22, attached to the surface 1T in any preferred or desired manner as by the screws 23.

The heel part 11 is cut away immediately beneath the slot 21 so as to provide clearance for the head 20 and thus permit of the sliding movement of t-he head in the groove 23. One of the parts, preferably the toe portion, is further provided on the surface 11 with the guide groove 25 within which is received the head 26 of the latch or plunger 27, held spring pressed into the groove by the spring 28, and prevented from displacement outwardly by the portion 29, which is enlarged to prevent removal from the restricted aperture 30 of the sleeve 31, lixedly positioned within the heel portion by screw threading or otherwise.

The lower end of the lgroove 25 has an abrupt stop or shoulder 32 while the upper portion of the groove gradually and angularly inclines toward the face 11, as shown at 33, for purposes as will be hereinafter described. Near the uppermost portion of the groove, there is provided a key hole Se opening into the groove 25 at 35 and preferably open at the front face at 86. To give sutiircient wearing qualities, there is inserted within the groove 311 a wear sleeve as shown at 37, preferably made of metal.

As illustrated in Fig. 1, the shoe last is shown in the position for normal use. Engagement is had between the fore-portion and the heel portion at the contacting faces 11. and 16, 12 and 17 respectively, displacement of the separate parts being prevented by the engagement of the screw head 2O within the slot 21, while relative movement along` the plane of the surfaces 11 and 12 is prevented by engagement by the plunger 26 within the opening 35 of the sleeve 3? within the key hole To separate the toc portion of the last from the heel portion, a depth key inserted within the key hole 3ft te depress the plunger alongthe `groove to unlatrh or disengage the parts. Similarly. to cause a shortening of the last, the iliilunger is similarly depressed by a depth key through the key hole 34 for a distance which will depress the head of the plunger 26 to the bottom of the groove 25 and then simultaneously the heel portion is moved downwardly relative to the toe portion. The last will reach its limited shortening when the plunger abuts the shoulder 32. In such position, the lowermost portion of the heel 17 extends beyon-:il the sole portion, as indicated at 38. ldlhen a last has mounted thereon shoe parts in iinished or unfinished condition, as indicatml veel in dotted lines in Fig. 1 at 39, and it is desired to separate such lMt from the parts mounted thereon, an operation is resorted to similarly to that above described for shortening the last, t-he plunger' 26 being depressed through the key hole Si until it reaches the bottom ot the groove, simultaneously pressure ,is applied along the longitudinal axis of the last at the heel and toe portions of the same, the separate members sliding downwardly and forwardly from the heel portion until the plunger 26 abuts the shoulder 32 or the face 13 engages the face 18 to give the shortened length. rlhis same action may be described as moving the heel portion by pushing the heel portion in reference to the shoe parts.

It will thus be observed that in shortening the shoe last, to bring it to a position where it may be readily removed from the shoe aarts mounted thereon, that at no state of the operation is the movement of the separate elements making up the shoe last such as to distend, displace, or in any other way disarrange by distending or stretching operation, the shoe parts mounted thereon. This is accomplished by reason of the fact that the longest dimensions of the last move away from the shortest dimensions ofthe shoe parts.

It will also be observed, by the operation thus described, that this movement relieves from adhesion or engagement with the last the inner sole of the shoe which ordinarily is likely to stick to the sole portion of the last as a result of any excess material that is used as shoe llers, adhesives, etc., in iinishing the shoe parts that may be mounted thereon. The position that such shoe parts will take in reference to the last is shown in dotted line in 2 where it will be noted that the contour of the upper, or the lining or parts thereof, are not disturbed in any way, but that there is merely a flexing of the sole portion of the shoe or shoe parts.

it will thus be observed that I have provided a shoe last which fulfills all the rigid requirements necessary for an article of this kind in shoe construction` at the same time.y providing an article which lends itselfreadily to rapid and etiicient operation for the l purposes for which it is designed.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use, what l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. A last divided along substantially a downward and forward interrupted diagonal line near the arch, into a fore portion and a heel portion, the interruptions forming abutments which limit the contracting movement of said portions.

2. A last divided near the arch into a fore portion and a heel portion by an interrupted diagonal line of division, slidable means between the portions to contract and expand the last without separation of the parts thereof, the interruptions being so eonstructed that the)7 are spaced apart in the expanded position of the last and ahnt to limit the contracted position of the last.

3. A last divided along substantially a dowinvard and forward diagonal line into a fore portion and a heel portion, slidahle engaging means between said fore portion and heel portion and means to limit the shdable l0 movement therebetween, said latter means including a spring pressed plunger and interrupted formation of said diagonal line, the i fore portion having a key hole for depressing the plunger in the heel portion and arranged to prevent accidental displacement of the plunger, and guide means including a stop at one end for limiting the slidable movement, said guide means including at its other end a groove for depressing the plunger.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto 20 signed my name this 3 day of January, 1925.

PASQUALE BOR-DA. 

